I was thinking that my paper may be about how the 'ratio system' at parties establishes a misogynistic standpoint. The 'ratio system' is a set of unspoken rules that states that for a boy to get into a regular party (either house or frat) he needs to be accompanied by a certain amount of girls. This number is usually four or five or even up to six. This puts into peoples minds that one boy is worth the same amount as four plus girls. Not a lot of research has been put not this yet and not many people outside of college are speaking about it, and I would like to be one of the first. This system is misogynistic and disliked by both men and women. I would use student testimony as well as the background of research done on the effects of peoples thoughts when they are to believe that women are worth a quarter of what men are. I will try to pull in things like the Lilly Ledbetter Law and the evolution of peoples mindsets of women.
This is a fascinating topic, and one that could yield a very interesting paper if we can find the right framework for analysis. I have heard about "ratio" before, from students writing about party rape, so it clearly is part of the larger strategic structure that systematically makes women vulnerable to sexual exploitation at parties -- if only by increasing the odds for men. I would be curious about how widespread "ratio" is in the national Greek community, and if anyone knows its history. I think an ethnographic approach, based on interviews with Greek members (and those who like to attend their parties) would add a lot to your research. But I also think you can draw from online comments, including chat-room comments, so long as you document them carefully (complete with URLs and times and dates you accessed them).
ReplyDeleteI actually found an article pretty quickly with a google search, which specifically mentions New Brunswick (which is why I am curious about whether it is more of a local phenomenon or a national one):
https://thetab.com/us/rutgers/2018/01/15/why-dont-we-leave-frat-ratio-in-2017-13385
Dozens of other articles pop up from social media (including Reddit) and other sources:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/gross-frat-ratios
And it looks like people are universally against the practice, because it so clearly objectifies and even commoditizes women.
My first thought is that ratio is part of the larger structural apparatus of campus party culture that seems to have evolved specifically to disempower women and make them more vulnerable to manipulation at parties. A good place to start for thinking about that "structural" framework is the work of (surprise!) Armstrong and Hamilton, who wrote a widely cited article titled "Sexual Assault on Campus: A Multilevel, Integrative Approach to Party Rape." Though they do not seem to discuss "ratio" specifically, you will quickly see that it certainly fits with the larger structures that they identify. You might also get ideas from the book Fraternity Gang Rape : Sex, Brotherhood, and Privilege on Campus by Peggy Reeves Sanday (which had an updated second edition in 2007.
Let that be a starting point to further discussions.